Enslaved body, Enslaved Soul
by black crystal rose
Summary: YuYu, InuYasha, and Ranma12. It's Kurama's 18th birthday and what do his parents get him? Just what every prince needs: a slave. to top it off someone else is hunting him and his slave. K.OC, KAG.IY, RAN.AK, S.M, Y.KAY
1. Chapter 1

Enslaved soul

Chapter 1

Happy Birthday Prince Kurama

Year: 3845 AW- 500 years since the end of the Aka War

Place: old Japan

Kurama groaned inwardly. 'This is not what I want to be doing,' he thought, glowering at the pedestrians that lined the streets. The stared curiously at the fancy car as it floated by them. 'I don't want a slave. All I want is a normal birthday party, where all of my friends come and we do things together.' Kurama thought of the few people he regarded as friends. First there was Yusuke, the poor bastard who's father had run out on his mother and himself when he was an infant, driving his poor mother to drink and use whatever drug she could get her hands in. Then there was Akane and her fiancé Ranma. The two ruled over the two kingdoms that were supposed to be ruled by their fathers. Lastly there was Kagome, the sweet, shy, raven-haired girl that Kurama had met on a field trip. All of them, Kurama reflected, didn't have slaves.

"Mother," he whined to the woman that was sitting across from. "Must I get a slave? None of my friends have them and they're doing just fine."

"I know Suiichi, but you're 18 now and your father and I agree that you need someone to take care of you now that you will be spending most of your free time learning how to rule the kingdom." His mother sighed and then continued. "Love, it's your birthday, just pick out three girls and we can go home." His mothers tone implied that she really didn't want to do this either.

"But Mother,-" Kurama started. His mother raised her hand to forestall any further comment.

"Kurama- Love- you are going to get no less than three slaves. Of the three, at least two have to be female with grades higher than ten in all the proper attributes. They will look slightly less than decent now, but they must clean up nicely. Also, they must obey your every breath. Is that clear?"

"Yes _your majesty._" Kurama snapped before returning to his former position and glowering at the common folk, wishing that it was one of them in the car, and he on the street.

"Your Majesties we are here." the driver announced monotonously. Kurama picked his head up and looked out of the window. They had stopped in front of a pair of majestically carved white marble doors. Upon further inspection Kurama noted that the building itself was made out of tons and tons of perfectly hewn marble. Kurama looked up it was a three story building, and deceptively innocent. With a mental growl Kurama followed his mother up the steps to meet his father who'd arrived a few minutes earlier.

Meanwhile, someone else was glowering at the world.

Hiei stumbled as one of the slavers, this one by the name of Murkuro, shoved him unceremoniously into a heavily warded cell.

"Maybe that'll teach you from trying that trick again. You puny little fire sprite." Murkuro laughed wickedly as he dangled the teardrop that Hiei's mother had given him at birth in front of him as well as his sisters.

"Murkuro, you bastard!" Hiei yelled lunging, attempting to beat the doors before they closed so that he could render Murkuro limb from limb. Once again they closed before he could get to them, leaving Hiei to snarl and bang the closed and warded doors with his bloody and bandaged hands. Tears fell down his cheeks. If Aka were alive today-

But that was it. If Aka was alive. If Aka was alive, Yukina would be alive, his best friend, Yoko would be alive, the world would have been destroyed, but the people that had survived the war would not have lost their spirits and would have happily worked together with Aka to rebuild it.

If Aka was alive.

That beautiful, courageous, strong hearted cat. She would do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted even if it surpassed the laws that people resurrect within their own minds. Hiei couldn't help smiling at the thought, as he sank into one of the corners of his miserable 5x5 cell and stared at the frosted one-way glass. He didn't really want to see Aka's death all over again, just as clearly as he had the day it had happened. The memories started 15 years before the Aka War started. Hiei himself had been the guardian of the rambunctious little Hinoiri. She'd been a sprightly little kitten, bound and determined to learn any and all history, and science and mathematics. She read any book that she could get her hands on, not stopping in her reading until she'd finished it. After she'd finished the book she'd come running to him and tell him everything she'd learned. Hiei recognized the cat's desperate want to learn, so he started teaching her the way of the sword. She took to it like a fish took to water. Finally, at the age of ten, she commandeered one of the horses and started to roam around her kingdom at night when she thought Hiei was asleep.

One day about a week or two later she was caught by a farmers son, going out a bit later than usual to feed his father's horses. The boy, who was a fox, who went by the name of Yoko was only 2 years older than Aka. Soon they became fast friends. The Yoko after a year gave her the nickname Hinoiri, meaning sunset, seeing as how they always met at sunset, from that day on that was how Yoko would address Aka.

5 years later on the day of their meeting, Yoko found out who Aka really was. Earlier that day, without Aka's knowledge, her father had betrothed her to a prince from another country. Hiei, who by loyalty to the king, told him of her outings with the fox. Her father, who recognized that his daughter would probably come to love the silver-haired fox, if she didn't already, smiled, and told Hiei that as long as Aka realized that she was betrothed to another that she could sneak out any time she wanted to, in order to see her fox.

That night Hiei, for the first time, made himself known. He caught them in the middle of one of their sparring matches. They were laughing uproariously at the mistakes that they were making. Aka pushed Yoko off of his horse.

"Oh no you don't, you little cat!" he snickered not letting go of his friends wrist. Together they landed in a laughing heap. Suddenly they stopped laughing, they looked at each other, understanding what the other was thinking. They leaned forward and their lips met.

A sudden commotion out side diverted Hiei from his trip down memory lane. In a way he was glad that he was interrupted, but in some ways he was irritated that it had happened. Sighing he stood up and opened his Jagan. He had only enough power to see vaguely who it was that was causing the commotion. He sighed again when he saw who it was. Poor Inuyasha. There were strays on the outside that were treated better than he was. For the time being Hiei gave up on his little mental diary.

Kurama was tired of this already and he hadn't even set foot into the damned building. He growled at his parents to get a move on. Finally they did. They moved through the huge marble doors that led to Kurama's and any other slaves Hell.

The inside was the same as the outside. The same monotonous tone of white marble. On Kurama's right and left there were two wall-to-wall desks, yet again made out of, you guessed it, white marble. Kurama repressed the urge to gag. Kurama's father walked in. and looked around. After waiting for a moment or two he walked up to the desk and rang a bell. A few seconds later a thin, reedy, voice squeaked out from behind the counter.

"How are you this afternoon your majesty? May I be of any assistance to you today?"

The King's face split into a smile, "Ah Naraku," he said, "Nice to see that you are in good health. Actually you can help us. You see, it's my son's 18th birthday and we are here to get him a slave or two. As for me, I would like to know whether you have any new fighters in."

"Very good your Majesty. And since you are a most highly respected customer we are qualified to give you the best deals possible on the best fighters that we possess."

"But your fighters are always the best aren't they?" asked Kurama's father in a dry tone.

"For you, your Majesty, they always are." Both men laughed and Kurama just rolled his eyes. He was bored and the metallic, sanitized hospital smell of the compound was making him sick.

"Just let me call someone to escort her majesty and the prince to the female slaves and I'll be right with you. Karasu!" A giant of a man appeared from one of the four doors on the opposite wall. He was shirtless and scars covered most of his torso. His only piece of clothing was a pair of leather "breeches" and a cat-of-nine tails looped around his waist.

"Yes sir?" he replied in a Nails- being- dragged- down- a- chalkboard voice that made Kurama wince.

"Please escort her Majesty and the Prince to the females. As it is Prince Kurama's birthday, please ensure that you show them the best ones, and nothing less."

"Understood. And if I may, I would like to wish the Prince a Happy Birthday. Now if the Prince and her Majesty will be so kind as to follow me I will take you to the female slaves." The man said with sincerity so false, Kurama could taste it.

"Thank you," said Kurama just as insincerely as Togoro had. With a sigh he followed Togoro and his mother through one of the four doors.

_45 minutes later_

"Oh sweetheart, there has to be at least one that you like," the queen wheedled at her stubborn red-headed son. Kurama snorted. He felt as if he'd already seen every slave in the compound.

'They all look so dead,' he thought, looking into one of the little rooms where a girl sat, eyes devoid of anything, sitting so still in the middle of her room. She could have been called beautiful. If she'd been properly taken care of. Her slightly longer than shoulder length brown hair was dull and raggedy. Her face was thin and gaunt.

All of a sudden, as though she could feel his eyes on her, she looked up. Her eyes were dead, only holding the barest dying ember of hope. It died almost instantly. Kurama shook his head in disgust at the sight of the poor girl. "Must I really get a slave mother? Honestly, I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

"I know you are. Now decide which of the slaves you want so we can leave."

'If I absolutely must get a slave I'll find one that has a little spirit left,' he thought. 'Then maybe I can find it again for her. Suddenly something occurred to him. He turned swiftly to Karasu. "Karasu, do you have any female fighters?" he asked using the most demanding and authoritative voice he had.

Karasu burst out laughing at the question.

"Female fighters?" he was finally able to gasp out. "I beg your pardon, Prince Kurama, but where did you get _that_ idea?"

"Just answer the question, damn it," Kurama snapped, not at all in the mood to play games, verbal or otherwise. Karasu was finally able to calm down enough to answer the prince's question.

"No sir. But, if you want to break your own, or have the challenge of training one, we have a trade off program, there are a few in the back. There is…one," Karasu said slowly, looking like he was actually thinking for once. "That little cunt Sango might do, or maybe number 39f4790sk. Hmmm."

"Let me see them," Kurama said promptly.

"Yes sir."

"Kurama, dear, I'm going to stay here and look at the rest of the girls. If I find any I think you'll like I will come get you, OK?" said the queen.

"Yes Mother," replied the prince irritably. He turned and followed Karasu through a door a few cells down.

"This hallway is where we keep all the female slaves in training or S.I.T.s for short. Mostly all of them are new, but there are always some bad ones that have to be returned for more 'training,'" explained Karasu . Karasu continued to explain something but Kurama took no interest. As they continued to walk Kurama looked into the passing cells some had slaves that were sleeping but most of them were empty. Here it smelled like stale blood, and to some extent one of the Companion Houses.

He finally came to a cell that drove him over the edge.

A/N- Ok people I'm sorry. This story was driving me up the wall with all of the stuff that was wrong with it. So I took the old version off. _This_ time I actually have the dang thing **_written out_** (it takes up one entire 3 inch notebook! )

This story will be the "same" as it was earlier, but this time it might actually end up being something that's worth reading.

Again I'm sorry and I'd like to ask if you'd please bear with me (gulp). Black crystal rose.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A single and a pair

Disclaimer: I forgot to put it on the last chapter so here it is:

**_I OWN NOTHING._**

In the middle of the room were a male and female, both in their teens. The boy had long silver hair and was being forced to…

Kurama's mouth fell open. The girl was the same girl that Kurama had walked by when he and his mother had parted ways.

They were both chained to the table so they couldn't really move, much less escape. The boy with the silver hair had wires in his back, which Kurama followed and found them to be attached to a mind blocker.

A mind blocker, more commonly known as an over-rider, was one of the few pieces of technology that had survived through the Aka war. When in contact with human flesh the machine would Over-ride the brain's commands. For example, in the situation that Kurama was watching. The machine was overriding the boy's command to his body to resist raping the poor girl. The boy would be in a full hard on, and ruthlessly raping the girl underneath him and be able to see it and think about it, but not be able to do anything, such as stop.

Kurama assessed the predicament further. They both had blood pouring from vicious wounds on their backs and sides, some created by the vicious cats (cat of nine tails) that all of the slave drivers carried, others created by some means that Kurama couldn't tell without closer inspection.

Kurama could see that, even through the pain, the boy was trying to protect the girl without hurting her anymore than she already was. One of the slave drivers walked up next to the girl, grabbed one of her breasts and maliciously bit down on the flesh, hard enough to break the skin and make her bleed. The girl screamed in pain and the other two slave drivers laughed in cruel amusement as the boy snapped in vain at the slave driver with the breast in his mouth. As he did so a mixture of blood and spit,(mostly blood) flew from his mouth. Kurama could see that the poor boy was tired as his whole body was quivering. And the girl? The girl had just stopped trying. She lay there, in a pool of blood, limp, her harsh breathing broken as she whimpered in pain. Kurama couldn't take it anymore. He may have been angry before but now he was _royally pissed off_ (pardon the pun :P).

Kurama pulled a seed out of his pocket. It was the seed of a very small yet beautiful vine. He laid the seed on the floor and proceeded to push it into growth. He guided the miniscule stem underneath the door and across the floor. Once in the corner with the over-rider, he guided it up the table leg and into the machine itself.

It went out with a bang and a large puff of smoke.

It had the desired effect. The slavers were stunned for a moment, then they all rushed over to the destroyed machine. Kurama took the opportunity to guide his plant back to the door where he opened the door from the inside.

Kurama had the chains off of the silver haired boy, and was helping him up before one of the slavers turned around to check on the two slaves.

"Hey-" he said, his hand going for his whip.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Kurama said conversationally, watching his hands while he untied the small, bloody, brown haired girl.

"Why shouldn't we?" the man retorted

"First off I give these two slaves my full permission to destroy you if they so choose. Second if you did, you would be committing a c rime punishable by death."

"Why would whipping a rag like you be a crime? The only people that we don't have a right to draw our whips in is anyone from the palace."

"Is he always this perceptive?" Kurama asked the girl as he helped her up. The girl squeezed her eyes shut and shrugged. she was clearly afraid that he was going to hit her.

"Hm." He mumbled, "Do either of you two know who I am?" The silver-haired boy shook his head just as timidly as the girl had. But the girl, to the slavers surprise, nodded.

"Smart cookie we have here. Why don't you tell these shiitake mushrooms who I am."

"Prince Kurama, Master." She more fell than bent when she tried to bow.

"Get up," Kurama said. The three slavers stood up while the two slaves stayed on their knees. "Not you" he said "I meant the slaves."

"But- but-"

"What do you mean 'but'?" Kurama snapped "Go get these two some decent clothes. They're coming with me. The rest of you get out of my sight."

"y-yes sir!" the three slavers skittered out of the room on their hands and knees like slimy cockroaches.

Hiei was just settling back into his memory of Aka when his door swung open. he looked to see who it was.

"Up on your feet you lazy little sprite." Snapped the irritating whiny voice of Naraku. "The King is here to look at you."

Hiei looked back to the dull stained wall. "Naraku. Hate to break it to you but that's not the king. The rightful king is more noble than this _human_."

"H-" Naraku started to reprimand him, but the King held his hand up to stop anything further from him.

"Freeborn or cultured"

"Free and all the stronger for it."

"Age"

"At least 600 years"

"Name"

"Is it even worth telling you?"

"Siblings"

"…"

"Ahem"

"No"

"Tell me your name."

"Alright" Hiei leapt up kicking out at the same time. He caught Kurama's father on the underside of the chin.

"Hiei!" Naraku yelled "_STOP!_"

Hiei's body seized up. '_Kami- damn!'_ he thought. He'd forgotten about the little chip that they'd put under his skin that made him obey any order that was given from whoever it was programmed to.

"You may be able to control my body, you flea bitten rat, but there isn't a thing you can do to break me." he growled from his place on the floor.

"So his name's Hiei huh?" the King said, rubbing his chin, " For a pretty little flower he sure has some kick. I'll take him."

A/N- I was going to call Hiei a _hothouse flower_, which is the term I use for a young horse that just has more energy than he or she knows what to do with. I didn't 'cause Hiei isn't what one would call young in this story. And yes this chapter was short. I was hard pressed for time. Please review.

Thank you

Black crystal rose. -


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Come on Little Doggy

Disclaimer- I own nothing. Period.

Kurama left the two slaves there after assuring them that he was coming back for them. As soon as he stepped outside he leaned up against the wall. He stood there a minute or so, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm his nerves.

Karasu whipped up in front of him.

"Where did you go?" he demanded.

"I found a pair that I liked," Kurama replied tersely "so I knocked on the door and asked to see them." He didn't trust himself to not explode in front of Karasu.

"Why don't you show me this Sango chick and that number- 39f4790SK wasn't it?"

"Yes sir. As you wish. If you would follow me-" Karasu turned around and started to walk back down the hall. Kurama sighed once more, gathered his nerves, and followed.

Hiei snarled to himself. They had put that damn collar on him and he hadn't been able to do anything about it. He might have if he'd been as strong as he had been before and during the war when he'd been allowed to use his powers with free reign.

He'd been captured about fifty years after the end of the Aka war. He had, to put it simply, walked right into his own cell. Since that time he'd spent the last four hundred and fifty years under the wards that the slavers put up. He'd been forced, by way of the little chip in his neck, to learn how to pleasure someone, male or female, how to "fight", do menial chores such as doing laundry, washing dishes, and making beds. He'd also been forced to go through nasty amounts of torture, and perhaps the worst/ most humiliating thing that they'd done to him was parade him around on a platform like a dog, leash and all, for the "general public" to poke and prod.

Now it was happening again, and the second he was outside he was going to plan his escape.

"Who is that?" Kurama asked Karasu, looking at the girl who was dressed in black and pink skin armor. In the corner of her cell there was a huge boomerang, and in her lap a little two-tailed demon cat. The girl herself appeared to be healthier than every other girl in the compound. Her hair was slick and black and pulled up into a neat little ponytail. Her brown eyes seemed to pierce Kurama's, even though he knew for a fact that she couldn't see him.

"That's Sango. She's a right fun little bedmate."

Kurama was fighting to control his seething temper. "Is that the only thing that you think about?" Kurama snapped, completely and thoroughly revolted, and more than a little sympathetic for the girl.

"I like the girls just fine, but I must say, you look pretty tasty. His gaze traveled not so subtly downward. He took a step forward and leaned down so that he could whisper in Kurama's ear. "How about you leave off the girl hunt, and come with me. Then we can explore the extent of that beautifully sick mind."

Kurama's green eyes widened in shock at the mere thought of what Karasu was asking him to do. At first Kurama was repulsed, then he was angry, but then the suggestion started to sound like a decent idea.

Kurama smiled softly. "You know Karasu that could get you into trouble with my parents." He said hooking an index finger into the slavers front belt loop. "Why don't we do just that? I'm in the mood."

"Here?" Karasu asked eagerly "Now?"

"Do you have a way to make those windows opaque?"

"Yes."

"Do it. We wouldn't want my mother to catch us, now would we?"

"What about the slave?"

"She can join us."

A/N- I AM CRUEL! I am leaving you hanging. I am leaving you to wonder if I have the guts to do something such as have Kurama sodomized, and risk getting slaughtered by every reader of this fic., or if I have some other devious twisted plot simmering in the back recesses of my school/stress crazed mind.

**I will enjoy reading your comments on this. Please e-mail or review.**

**Please also note that this will be the shortest chapter of the story unless I'm out of time and have to get something up.**

**FUFUFUFUFU **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

I Wish That I Wasn't A Prince

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except those characters that are quite obviously nobody elses.

Kurama pushed his way into the cell, which Karasu had opened, keeping the slimeball's back to the slave. Carefully Kurama caught the slaves eye. He winked at her, hoping that she'd understand what he wanted her to do.

Sango nodded back, understanding not the wink, but the sly acceptance for her and the dislike towards the man that mirrored her own.

Just as Karasu was getting a bit overenthusiastic, Kurama caught his hands.

"I have something for you," Kurama said silkily, "Turn around." Karasu in his perverted greed did so.

It was at that point in time that he became very well acquainted with the hard edge of Sango's massive boomerang. Sango brought her boomerang back around and dealt him another blow that threw the slimy cretin through the supposedly shatterproof window. Karasu landed on his back in a shower of glass, a few deep cuts marring his "perfect" face.

He was knocked out cold.

Kiara jumped out of the shattered window seeing as she could fit through virtually any little crack in anything.

She wrestled the keys out of the unconscious slavers hand, and after picking her way carefully through the shards of broken glass, she sat down and watched them as if to say, _come on slowpokes. What's taking you so long. I'm already out. _

Kurama and Sango walked out through the door instead of leaping out through the window. As soon as they were outside the now trashed cell the little kitten darted up the hallway and started scrabbling at a door, the keys hanging from her mouth. Sango stretched before she walked out after her, a bit more slowly as she didn't want to slice her feet up (all of the slaves went barefoot. They got shoes when they were bought.), and followed after her little demon cat.

"Thank You" she said to Kurama, pausing for a heartbeat. She smiled at him, "I owe you for giving me the permission to brain that heartless _teme._"

By that time Kurama had walked through the door and kicked Karasu aside. He raised an eyebrow at her statement but reached out and grabbed her arm as she was walking away.

"Young lady, as far as I'm concerned, the second I sign that contract, you have my permission to brain anybody as long as they thoroughly deserve it."

"Y-you're going to take me home with you?" she spluttered.

Kurama smiled at the stunned slave. "Who's door is your cat clawing at?" He asked, inclining his head towards her little demon cat.

"Her name's Kiara." She said, still so stunned that she didn't hear the second part of the question.

"Who is?" Kurama asked "the person in the cell or the cat?"

Sango blushed, realizing that she'd not answered his question completely. " I'm sorry. My cat's name is Kiara. The girl who's in the cell is one of my good friends. I have no idea what her real name is, but everyone's always called her _39_. which is short for her fill slave ID#." Sango smiled hopefully at the door that restricted her friend's movements.

"Then let's go free your friend." Kurama said smiling at her. He walked over to the doorway, retrieved the keys from Kiara and after finding the correct key, opened the door.

"Kyyyyyoooooow!" Kiara squealed happily as she streaked into the room, leaping lightly onto a table. It was virtually pitch black in her little cell.

The tiny cat's loud purring filled the room.

After Sango warned her, she flipped on the lights so that they could see, and Kurama got his first look at her.

The girl sitting at the table was to say the least, in need of some serious rehabilitation. The table that she sitting at was covered with a few hundred or more little paper figurines. All of which she'd apparently folded with her own hands. Her own hands that were so pale and so skeletal they appeared to be made of bleached bone. She was wearing the ¾ sleeved skintight spandex suit that the female slaves who were used for breeding wore.

The girl looked like a living skeleton. He could've played music on the poor girl's ribcage. He could see the faint outline of her organs. Even through the stretchy spandex.

Her hair, which was blacker than Sango's, was floor length, and though it was neatly braided, it was greasy and dull. Her legs were longer than Sango's, and Kurama estimated her to be about his height. Her skin was translucent, so white; it reminded him of the pictures of the ancient milk jade bowls that were nearly 40,000 years old. He wondered what she'd done in order to deserve being treated like she was.

Kurama felt as though he was going to throw up. All he wanted to do was run as far and as fast as he could in the opposite direction. She was sickening.

Kurama bumped into the wall. He hadn't realized it but he was involuntarily backing up. The girl looked up at the nearly silent thump of his back hitting the wall.

_My gods_ Kurama thought terrified. _She'll kill me._

At that moment Sango burst through the doors, having gone back to her cell to gather a few things together.

"Hey guess what? Prince Kurama just let me brain that bastard Karasu. Isn't that great? He also said that he was going to take us both home."

Sango continued on in that vein for a bit, while Kurama and 39 stared at each other.

39 was the first to look away. If the prince hadn't been watching her then he would have never seen the single silver tear that fell limply down the side of her face.

"I'm sorry." He blurted. He didn't know why he'd done it, he just had.

The girl looked at him. And blinked.

* * *

Hiei snarled softly to himself. He _hated_ being a slave, and he vowed that the minute that he was out of the King's sight he was going to rip the chip right out of his neck. Unfortunately the only way that that was going to happen was if his "masters" forgot to give him the orders to leave the chip alone or if someone else ripped it out for him, which wasn't likely to happen.

He trudged along behind the King Raiko hating that nasty little chip in his neck, Naraku who spouted orders like an open tap, the King who's service he was going into, and life in general.

He wanted to see Aka. He wanted to see the brilliant violet and silver of her eyes. He just wanted to see that sweet little kitten who could comfort someone better than their own mother. Just one glimpse. That was all he asked.

He also wanted to see his best friend, Yoko, who was also Aka's mate, and strangely enough he wanted to see that massive orange and red war stallion that was as meek as a kitten for Aka or Yoko, tolerated him, hated the rest of the staff, and would slaughter any other fool that dared to come within striking range.

Hiei found himself on the front office. If it hadn't been for Naraku who very quickly forbade him from going anywhere, Hiei'd have been gone. As it was he was forced to stand in one spot while the doorway, the sunlight, fresh air, the trees, and everything else that he had been longing for for the last three hundred years.

* * *

Kurama saw the girl's nostrils flare. As if she was scenting him. 

Kurama noticed that her eyes were a dull, flat blue, and showed none of the life that they should've. She sniffed again and then went back to folding her paper.

_I'm not so sure that I really want this girl._ He thought. _Oh well I promised Sango that I'd take her with us. Besides if I really don't like her, _he gulped and wanted to shoot himself for his next thought, _I can always give her to one of my friends._

"Are you girls coming?" he asked them. They looked at each other and Sango nodded. "Gather your things together," he said. He walked over to the door and waited.

He watched as #39 picked up what appeared to be a silver fox with nine tails, a black and silver tiger, and a tiny little black kit. The girl stood up and nearly fell over. She was so thin that she could barely stand upright.

Kurama absently stuck his arm out and caught the girl. She weighed less than a dog.

"Why?" Kurama muttered. The girl whimpered, most likely from pain. Kurama picked her up. Setting her back onto her feet he dug around in his pockets. He seemed to remember shoving a bag of cookies into one of his pockets. "Here" he said, handing her the food. "Don't inhale it. You will most likely get sick from eating that, just because you're so starved, but it's at the very least something." The girl looked at him and then at the package. She snarled and shoved the cookies into Kurama's chest. She stumbled through the door and then staggered her way along the wall.

It took Kurama a few seconds to realize that the reason #39 had given the cookies back was because she couldn't open them. He tried and found that he was having a tough time opening them himself. He meandered out of the room, determined to get them open.

POW! The bottom of the bag split apart. If he hadn't been startled himself, he would've laughed at Sango's reaction and started running at #39's. he walked over to 39 and offered her the bag again.

"Was that the problem?" he asked. "That you couldn't open it?"

39 looked at him her head slightly cocked. She whimpered, as if asking if she could really have them.

"Well take them." Kurama said laughing lightly. "It's not like I'm going to eat them." He laughed as she snapped the bag out of his hands. "Like I said before, don't inhale it. You'll make yourself sick." She chirped and retreated to hide in the shadows. "Come on guys. I'd like to get the three of you signed and paid for so that way not even my father can harm you.

Kurama managed to get the three of them, (39, dog-demon, and the girl named Kayko) registered, paid for and in his name.

He gathered them together and together they made their way towards the front office where they would meet Kurama's parents.

* * *

Hiei was, to put it lightly, just short of blood-thirsty. They had just finished reprogramming the little chip in his neck when he felt a dark and oppressive aura pop up. He was watching.

He saw a red-headed boy walk in with a pretty black haired girl.

AN: Sorry 'bout that. I tried to get this out during spring break, but, obviously, I didn't. Gomen- nasai gozaimos. I'll finish the next chapter asap. Though you may have to wait untill exams are over... ..>


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A New Name and a New Home

Disclaimer: For the last time: DOES IT _SOUND _LIKE I OWN ANYTHING? I don't…

Kurama sighed in relief.

Naraku looked at Sango and then at the doorway where the others were located. "Who're they?" he asked inclining his head towards the other three.

"You guys might as well come on out." Kurama called. "it's not like anybody else can order you around now that I've bought you." One by one they timidly stepped out into the sunlit lobby. First Keiko, then Dog-boy, and lastly '39.

"Eeeennnnnn!" she whimpered when she stepped into the sunlight. She shook her head wildly, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Kurama realized that, even if her eyes adjusted, she wouldn't be able to see because she'd been living in near complete darkness for years. It would take months for her eyes to adjust, _if _her eyes weren't made permanently blind by the sudden re-introduction to light.

The girl stumbled, unable to see, to weak to find her way back to the dim darkness of the cells.

"HOLD!" Kurama commanded loudly. The girl froze, still whimpering. Kurama quickly took off his shirt. He ripped the sleeve off and wrapped it around her eyes. It wasn't much but it was the least that he could do to help her. "Are you going to be ok?" he asked her.

"Mew." Slowly, carefully she turned around. She bowed her head in a sort of nod of thanks.

It was if someone had dropped a bomb. Kurama's mother came flying through the door, Naraku laughed uproariously, and Raiko barked loudly about Kurama's ripped shirt.

"What is _that_?" the Queen asked, a horrified look on her otherwise elegant face.

"What possessed you to buy that _thing_?" Naraku laughed, his voice mocking.

'39 froze. What little muscle she had was tense, and she turned to face Naraku.

* * *

She stifled the laugh that was threatening to pop out of her. She knew that voice. The owner of that voice was the damned bastard that had caught her to begin with.

She hated being a slave. It was demeaning, stupid and a good way to get killed and/ or maltreated. In her case she'd been beaten, starved for the last five years of sunlight, food, and movement, kept in the dark, and raped (though she'd killed everyone who done so, except for Naraku). She wanted to see her friends and her mate, and she had sworn the day she woke up that when she was bought she would escape and find them somehow. Even if it meant dying.

She'd also sworn that she'd kill Naraku the first chance she had.

* * *

Kurama heard the girl growl. Her lips curled back to reveal a set of yellowed but nonetheless wickedly sharp looking fangs. 

Naraku spoke again, and '39's growling grew into a full-fledged snarl. Kurama placed a restraining hand on her bony shoulder.

"First off, _sir_, this young lady's not an it. It also appears as though she doesn't like being called a _thing._" He paused for a moment, then continued. "Secondly, you're one to talk; if I recall correctly I found this poor girl in a cell that had very little light, she was starved, most obviously beaten, _and_," the words hissed angrily through his teeth. "she's not seen anyone else for years. In my opinion, you're the damned bastard that's responsible for this and you need to die."

Kurama glowered at Naraku, who had a surprised look on his face.

Everyone else, including the slaves, just stared at Kurama, incredulous.

Kurama's brilliant green eyes glittered like emeralds. He looked at Hiei whose mouth was slightly turned down in a frown. "I'm presuming that you're my Dad's new fighter?" he asked the little fire demon.

"Hn." He muttered.

"Well if you are, then you might as well come with the rest of us. We're leaving." With that he turned around and went to stalk out the door. The other slaves followed him, and after a few moments the King nodded and Hiei followed.

Hiei watched in wonder as the skeleton girl stumbled carefully along after Kurama. There was something intriguing about the girl, something almost _familiar._ He followed behind them just to see what would happen.

Naraku grabbed the girl's arm as she walked after the prince.

What took place next shocked everyone, including Hiei. She whipped around, her hands looking more like claws than anything else. She raked them across Naraku's eyes leaving four bloody gashes across his cheek.

Naraku leapt backwards, agile, very angry, and fit.

Though she was skeletal and blind she kept on his heels, slicing through his flesh like it was butter. Finally with a cry of anger, the girl got her claws and teeth into the soft flesh that connected the arm to the shoulder. Her teeth must have been extremely sharp and her jaws very strong, for the meat of Naraku's arm peeled from the bone like a banana.

Blood spewed from the slaver's arm like a geyser. The hot blood hit everything that was within a good seven foot radius of the slave and the slaver. It splattered over Hiei like water.

Said fire sprite watched in horror as the girl started ripping shreds of meat from Naraku's severed arm. She gulped them down. She ripped into his arm, streams of blood pouring down her face like rivers. Strings of meat and muscle dangled from the sides of her mouth.

Then she stopped. She stood up her head back, her mouth open.

Her skin rippled, and she became lean and rangy instead of starved. She reached up, pulled the sleeve from around her eyes and looked at Naraku, bleeding on the floor. She picked him up, set him on his feet. She brought her hand up and then dropped it. A few seconds later Naraku's arm hit the floor.

Kurama stared dazedly at the slave girl. She stood there, looking at him, long, dangerous and beautiful with the blood that still dripped down her cheek, over the pale, smooth skin of her throat. Her violet eyes were bright, clear, and searching for something within his own. Her 'tunic' stretched across her now full breasts, across her stomach, her legs, her arms; the worn seams threatened to pop as they strained against muscles that had magically appeared out of nowhere.

She stood proud and exuded power from every pore. She dared any of those around her to try to touch her, to claim her, to own her. She reminded Kurama of a sunset. A sunset where the sky was the color of blood, yet beautiful, and strangely, comforting.

"Hinoiri" Kurama whispered and at the same time Hiei whispered his queen's name "Aka". She looked at them both then turned and walked silently to Kurama's side. She looked once more to the stunned faces of the King and Queen and then to the slimy face of Naraku, which was contorted in pain. She snorted softly and then went to join the other slaves.

The ride home was silent. Kurama who was still steamed, leaned against the window.

His vile mood was slaughtered when a pair of strong arms hauled him out of the car the minute that the vehicle stopped and into one of the strongest bear hugs ever given.

"Hi Kagome" he said, a smile on his face and his earlier mood now forgotten. He pushed her back so that he could breathe. Kagome beamed at him, and nodded.

"Yo Kurama!" the shout caused the prince to look up.

"Hey Ranma!" he shouted to the martial artist who was prancing around on top of the garden wall. "Long time no see. Akane still beating you to a pulp?"

"Yeah!" Ranma shouted as he dodged a well aimed bucket of water. The first one missed the boy but the second one got him. Then he was a she and Hinoiri was on top of the wall, a confused look on her face. She poked Ranma in the shoulder and mewed her curiosity.

Ranma, used to the poking and prodding gently batted her hand away. That simple move ended with Ranma flat on his face. He wasn't hurt, or in pain, he was just surprised. The slave let him go and offered her hand to help him up.

"Wanna spar?"

A/N-GOMEN GOMEN GOMEN! Please forgive me! I accidentally skipped this chapter (Curls up in a random corner to cry…). I sincerely thank Sonya- White-Angel for very kindly pointing it out for me.

Sorry that took so long. My lame excuse is that exams were getting in the way. Don't get me wrong, I like school I just don't like having it for about 180+ consecutive days. For those of you who are reading my other story, Alter Ego, I apologize if it's not funny yet. It will be once we get into Christmas. Let's put it this way Hiei+ mistletoe … I'll let you decide. Adios. (5-29-06)

BCR


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Home again

Disclaimer: I- I want to own Yu Yu Hakusho, Ranma 1/2 and Inu-Yasha, but here you have it. I own nothing.

SNIFF

"Mow?" the slave's mew was purely inquisitive. She looked at Ranma, her eyes bright and curious. Ranma smiled. Finally. It appeared that he'd found a sparing partner that wouldn't run out on him.

Raiko walked up with his wife and the rest of the slaves, to stand behind the prince. "You know," he said aloud, "that girl would probably make a pretty good fighter if she weren't such a bloodthirsty bitch."

The girl froze. The last bit of the King's sentence repeated itself over and over, like a broken record, in her mind. She brought her hands up, though she didn't realize it. They nested in her hair, pulling, as torrents of tears ran down her face.

They held her. Held her so tightly that even she, being a demon, couldn't budge. The elder Toguro bent down and planted his nasty, slimy mouth on hers; put his nasty, stretchable tongue down her throat, in a "kiss" that lasted for what felt like hours. Finally, after an eternity, he pulled back, an evil smile on his face.

"_You taste good, my sweet little kitten" he purred. _

_His voice made her want to throw up._

"Now, my love," he said, the fingers of his hand stretching to probe her body, "I have someone I'd like you to meet." He stepped aside revealing her mate, Yo-ko. That was the last straw. She roared, a 5' 6" muscular, lithe strip of demonic fury. Her aura spurted, like blood from an artery, shooting straight up like a fountain, to fall and splash over her. It seemed to stick to her, starting from the tips of her ears and flowing down her body like a black waterfall. The blackness of her aura was broken only by little flickers of purple, blue, bright green, and silver, the color of life, strength, protection, and hope, that spurted away from her like sparks from a fire.

"_You know fox. That cat right there would make a good mate for you if she weren't so blood thirsty" Naraku said, just before he extended the fingers of his other hand, plunging them through Yoko. Toguro laughed cruelly, as she screamed, as Yoko, _HER_ beloved Yoko died. _

_Toguro never knew what had hit him. She was on him so fast that he never had the chance to shift his organs so that he would be safe. But even that wouldn't have saved him. Within the minute, Aka's raging ire had her aura disintegrating the teme from the inside out._

Around her, everyone stared. She was a fountain. Her aura spread to cover everything. It on some things it turned a bright healthy green that was flecked with blue, purple, and silver. It touched Ranma, sheathed him in a cocoon of green. When It toughed Akane, Yusuke, Miroku, Sango, Keiko, and Kiara it turned green though it had an equal amount of blue swirling through it. When It touched the dog-demon It flared black, then turned a vivid purple with an overlay of silver. It sheathed Hiei in a strange combination of green, blue, purple, and black. It turned a pale pink when it toughed Kurama's mother, a beautiful black-blue-purple with a silver overlay when it flowed over Kurama. Then It touched the King.

The girls aura toughed the man, pulled back, turned itself into a pack creatures, a silver tiger, a blue firebird, a black stallion, a green dragon. As one they reared back then pelted towards the king who was thinly sheathed in a sickly sort of mustard yellow.

Hiei knew what he was seeing. He'd seen it once before, and it's result was not a pretty picture. Over 500 years ago the elder Toguro had, somehow, managed to take Aka hostage. At that point the war had been fought to a standstill. Word got over to the Japanese side that Aka had been taken. Then the "official" king had told the cat's true love to go get her. Hiei had tried to dissuade both the king and Yoko from doing as they did, but it had been no use. The king had just sneered at him, saying 'he's the most likely to walk into the midst of the enemy.' Hiei'd been stunned. The way the king had said it; he might have well just as said 'he's lowborn, therefore he's expendable.'

Yoko had been a bit easier to talk to. 'I'm sorry Hiei, but I have to. I know I'll die, but I love her and I can't just stand by and let everyone else get slaughtered.' Yoko'd patted him on the shoulder then turned to look at his beloved. 'Take care of her.' he said and then left. A few minutes later it was if someone had magically conjured up a massive storm, because it turned dark. Then there was a wave of black. Hiei had been scared. He knew that Aka's mate was dead, but he'd never felt so much _power_ before. It melted over everything. And right before Hiei's eyes the people on the other side simply exploded. Blood, shards of trees, dirt, miniscule globules of the enemy and their horses, poured down on Hiei and the Japanese army.

The wave of black, blue, purple, green, silver, and gold, flowed over everything in every direction, surrounding some people in spheres of color. Disintegrating everyone who wasn't sheathed in color.

It was over as fast as it started. The black wave stopped emanating from Aka but the wave itself didn't stop for a good 15 miles.

Hiei was one of the few that had managed to escape being killed. Most of the Japanese army had survived. Only three people from the enemy's side survived and it was revealed that they were actually spies for Aka's side. Then they found Aka and Yoko.

Both dead, embracing each other, turned to stone, except for their tears, which flowed together to form a heart, clear as crystal, faceted, suspended between them.

Hiei had watched the heart form revolve then shatter into nine pieces. One of those pieces plunged itself into Hiei. That was the end. Of everything. Of Aka and her mate, the war, Japan as they knew it, millions of lives, everything.

That memory always had and always would haunt Hiei. That's why he just about panicked when "Sunsett" started flipping.

Without thinking of the consequences he leapt up to the wall. He grabbed her shoulders, shook her.

"Aka!" he yelled. He saw a flash of recognition then her eyes turned again. Hiei kept shaking her and yelling her name. Finally her eyes started showing recognition. The wave stopped then started to reverse itself.

Nothing exploded, nothing imploded. Hiei breathed a sigh of relief. His arms went around Sunsett, and he trapped her in a strong hug.

Kurama climbed up onto the wall with some difficulty, but once he was up there he walked along it like he'd done so a million times. He put his hand on Hiei's shoulder. "Her name's Aka?" He asked the fire sprite.

Hiei looked at him carefully, before he nodded.

Kurama took his hand off of Hiei's shoulder. "Aka" he said softly, looking at the trembling girl. "Aka, you're safe here. I promise you that I will protect you. Even if it's from my father." He took a breath, then continued. "I bought the dog demon so that Kagome san could teach him how to bite again, Keiko so that maybe Yusuke would have a mother. You, you were so ill-treated that I felt sorry for you. But then you ripped into Naraku like that, and I thought, 'my god she's a monster'. But now seeing you flip over something my dad said, makes me wonder what happened to you." He paused for a moment to let the words sink in. "You're not a slave young lady. I won't let anyone treat you as such." With that he stepped back, Hiei let her go. They both looked at her.

Kurama gently reached out and pulled the snaps that closed the collar that marked a person a slave apart. He pulled on the leather strip. It fell away from her throat, and Kurama tied it into a knot and threw it on the ground.

"I'm not going to stop you Hinoiri Aka." Kurama said looking at her, his eyes gentle.

The first thing Aka did was look at the sky, then back at Kurama.

"If you want to leave, go ahead, I'll not stop you." With that small assurance Aka gave him a quick hug and then disappeared.

Kurama smiled and leapt quietly down to the ground.

"Why did you do that?" Raiko demanded.

"Because-"

A/N- ha ha sizzle. Why does it have to be so damn _hot_? It's no fair. I have no ac what so ever in my house, it's about 98 degrees outside, the library's ac seems to die every time I'm there, etc. I'm dying.

Sorry about complaining too much. Life's just being realllllllllllllllllly mean to me right now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter the next one will be out as soon as I find some ac to type it in. or, I could always become nocturnal. Just for the summer.

Next chapter: every one settles in….


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

New master New mistress

Disclaimer: you know the drill. Go look at the earlier chaps.

"Why did you do that? "Raiko demanded as his son hopped down from the wall.

"Because that's what she deserved." Said shortly, before turning to face the other slaves. He settled his hands on his hips. "Now," he said, "if you three would be so kind as to follow me." He cocked his head and walked through the garden gate.

"Kurama!" Akane, Ranma's wife, ambushed him as he walked through the gate.

"Hey!" Ranma said indignantly, "I thought you didn't like girls." Kurama who was already being strangled by Akane's hug, spluttered. Akane on the other hand let Kurama go in order to incur her wrath on her "unsuspecting" husband. It was a longstanding joke between him and his friends. His hair was longer than either of the girls, his face was more delicate than most of the guys, and as Yusuke had "pointed out", 'Get a pair of size b boobs, and put on a low cut, lace-less, emerald green velvet dress with a corset to push those babies up, and we'd have our very own Princess Kurama, later to become King-Of-The-Velvet-bodice"

Kurama blushed red. 'Leave me alone' he muttered ducking his head. Meanwhile there was a strangled "Itaiiiiiiii!" from Ranma.

"Oh he's SO CUTE!" Kagome, who'd gone to help Ranma escape being ripped limb from limb and therefore saving the castle's masonry workers from having to scrub the stones, caught sight of the dog boy's ears. She reached up and rubbed them to see if they were real.

He poor boy's eyes opened wider and he looked scared.

Kurama opened his mouth to tell her, but Kagome's hands lifted from his ears and started trying to just finger brush his hair.

She gave up very quickly though, seeing as it was pretty much impossible to untangle. She walked around him and looked at his face.

"You poor thing," she whispered, licking the tip of her finger before using it to scrub gently at a missed spot of blood on his cheek. "Kurama," she started in a voice that he recognized as her wheedling voice.

"Yes. That's why I got him, and sighed him out as a 'gift'. I thought Tetsuiga or what ever the heck it is?"

Kagome beamed. "What's your name?" she asked, all smiles like she usually was.

The poor demon looked terrified. His cute puppy dog ears were laid flat and his big golden eyes were wide and submissive. "Inuyasha, m-mistress." He stuttered.

For the first time, since they were about 6, Kurama saw Kagome frown. "how old are you?" she snapped.

"668"

"Ok. I'm 16. Now why the Hell would a strong Hanyou such as yourself be submissive to me, a lowly, little, brittle, human?"

"Because you're my master. Mistress."

Kagome took a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm sincerely hoping that you had some sort of attitude before they caught you." She said, about ready to smack the boy for his submissiveness.

Inuyasha was silently looking down at his toes. Kagome took another couple of deep breaths. She put her hand on the hanyou's arm. "I hope I can help you find your old self." She said twisting her head so that she could see under his matted bangs. She made a puppy face at him that made him jerk his head up in surprise.

"Who are you?" he blurted before he could stop himself.

"Hopefully I'll be your friend." Kagome replied. "Now let's go eat some cake. Now that birthday boy is here."

* * *

Sunsett was watching. She was surprised when he gave the black haired girl the slave, but she was even more surprised when Kurama mentioned Tetsuaiga (how is it spelled?). One of her old friends had a sword that had a name like that. She decided that she would investigate it later.

She was sad. She knew that she was home. If she'd been asked she could've told Kurama the number of stones that were in the wall below her, she could've, if offered gone straight to the room that she'd always called hers. She knew every nook and cranny in the fortress. Why? Because that was her home. She remembered sneaking out at night, thinking that Hiei was asleep, to see her beloved fox. She remembered the night that that same boy came running to the gate smelling of smoke and screaming of fire.

Vaguely she wondered if all of the old nooks and crannies were still untouched, she started to think about attempting to sneak in to look, but was interrupted by Raiko.

"You," he said pointing to Hiei, "Walk the perimeter of this wall. If you come across that little bitch that Kurama set free than I want you to kill her."

* * *

"Yes master" Hiei said through gritted teeth. He turned, like the little chip in his neck, was telling him to do when Sunsett dropped to the ground in front of him.

'KILL HER!' the chip made him think, 'Leave her alone!' Hiei thought. He'd found a couple hundred years earlier that he could resist the command for a few minutes.

The girl walked over to her friend. And very calmly used one of her sharp claw-like fingernails to slit the skin in the back of Hiei's neck.

She never once looked at her hands. Only at the king. She hooked a fingernail under the chip and yanked. The whole thing came up. Both she and Hiei knew that his nerves would have grown into the wiring of the contraption and that people would sill be able to order him around though they saw no reason to let anybody else in on the secret.

Aka dropped the chip on the ground and stepped on it.

"You little bitch!" Raiko roared, lunging at her.

Aka promptly disappeared into thin air.

Raiko found himself landing, chin-first, on the hard paving stones.

Kurama couldn't help himself, neither could his mother Inuyasha, Kagome, Hiei, the newly arrived Miroku and Yusuke, Akane, Ranma, Sango or the cook who was bringing out a massive red velvet cake. Hiei put a foot on the back of the King's neck.

"You would make a good king for the worms" he snickered, "Seeing as you _are one!_"

He picked up his foot and walked over to Kurama's side. "I think" he said, "That if I am to truly be a slave that I shall only be such for Aka-dono, Kurama-sama, or his mother."

Ranma and Inu looked at each other, grins spreading over their faces.

"That was wicked" Ranma said. "Is that where the girl learned how to fight?"

Hiei shook his head. He felt that Aka would be safer if they didn't know she was actually the empress of Japan.

"Well" Kurama said. "Now that everybody's here we might as well cut the cake."

The rest of the afternoon went well.

They had opened presents first. Kurama had gotten a new jacket (from Kagome), a little lacy scrap of fabric for his "girlfriend" when he got one, or so Miroku claimed, (mind you he said this with a straight face while "petting" Sango's ass). Ranma and Akane gave him the materials to make himself a combat whip, something he'd wanted for quite awhile. Yusuke, who was late, and looked like he'd run across the kingdom to Get there gave him a green velvet dress (he managed to tell Kurama to unfold the dress, before he sneered to badly.) in the dress Kurama found a piece of paper saying that he was going to be the new owner of a tiger cub, a wolf pup, and strangely a matched pair of foals. "To be delivered to His royal pompous ass at 9:30 the next day". When asked, it turned out that his mother's tiger, Sella, had had babies and that the one Yusuke was giving Kurama was the only white one of the whole bunch, and that the wolf mother and brother were found dead.

* * *

Aka was ecstatic. A pair of foals, and matched no less! From what she understood, most of the horses now day's were used for pulling plows. They were never ridden but because they were bred from horses that pulled plows that meant that with enough exercise and training they _could _be ridden!

* * *

"And what exactly am I supposed to do with these babies?" Kurama asked, his crimson eyebrows raised.

"You're going to keep them." Hiei said for Yusuke. "I'll take the wolf pup if you don't want it, leave the horses and the cat to Aka."

"But she's not around." Kurama argued.

Hiei snorted derisively. "Not around?" he scoffed "She's been in the tree the entire time."

"She has?" Ranma asked. "I would have felt her aura."

You have a lock on mine right?" he asked the martial artist, who nodded. "Try and find me!"

He disappeared and reappeared 3 minutes later laughing. "Had a lock on me did you?"

Ranma just shook his head his mouth hanging open.

"Can we have some of that cake?" Kagome asked, looking at the cake whose frosting was starting to melt.

"Yeah let's"

the cake wasn't even a quarter eaten by the time everyone had eaten all they could of it. They packed up or rather the castle's maids came to pick it all up. The entire gang went into Kurama's 'Playroom'. The area was actually more of an arena than anything though the prince had managed to make it a little more fun.

Kurama had left the entire thing in its original form and just built shelves and drawers to put things in. On one of the long sides of the room he'd built a table that he could put stuff on, to be built, tampered with, put back together, or just in general be putzed around with.

"Spar?" Ranma asked Inu-yasha, who looked at Kagome for permission. Kagome just sighed and said "Do as you wish," while she curled up in the comfortable chair beside the floor to ceiling bookshelves that were crammed with books.

Finally a few hours later, after the boys and Sango were sweating to the point where they stank, all but Ranma and Akane decided to leave. Because they lived on the other side of Japan they were going to stay over.

* * *

After Kurama said his goodbye's, thank yous and made sure that Ranma and his wife were comfortably settled in, he made a detour through the kitchen to get another monstrous slice of cake. It wasn't for him though. He figured that Sunsett would be hungry by then. All she'd had in a while was Naraku's arm, which couldn't have been very good for her. He carried the plate to his balcony, which was a good thirteen feet above the wall. He set it on the ground so that it wouldn't get knocked off.

"Sunsett," he said to the air, believe it or not, you're welcome here.

he stayed like that for a few more minutes, watching the moonlight shift and shimmer on the surface of the pond in the garden that his room overlooked.

"I hope that you'll be safe," he whispered, more to himself than anything." He sighed, then turned around and walked back into his bedroom.

He may have thought that he was talking to thin air but in reality _They_ heard. _They_ heard that Aka was loose, with no collar, and that there was someone who liked her enough to leave food out for her.

_They _looked at each other and grinned, light glinting off of sharp teeth.

It was time.

It was time for the games to begin.

**A/N**- Ok peoples. I have a.c. so I can type in relative comfort.

What I don't have is reviews. I will say this only once. I am putting this story up for _your_ entertainment. I have been nice, I have been lamely funny, I have been subtle, E. T. C.. Now it is time, my friends, for me to do what I do best. Be perfectly and nastily **_BLUNT._**

Believe it or not, I enjoy typing this story up. In what little spare time I have. If I do not get at least ten people telling me _something_ as to their opinion of this story, it's not going to be typed. I have a horse to train, I have a job, I have a horse that some how managed to impale himself, I have school during the summer (college), I have to help my mother do her beading programs, I have another story that I'm trying to type for a friend who has been unable (due to reasons that I'm not going to tell you), get to the computer.

So let me make this perfectly clear. IF YOU ARE NOT KYUUBI-SAMA, SONYA WHITE ANGEL, RED KITSUNE FLAMES, OR WHOEVER ANONAMOUSLY REVIEWED AS RHIANNON (by the way, thanks guys), THEN THIS APPLIES TO YOU:

TEN REVIEWS BY THE TIME I POST THE NEXT CHAPTER (JUNE 20) OR THE STORY IS SLAUGHTERED.

Is that in any way unclear?

BTW- I don't give a donkey's tail if you cuss me out or what. Just give me SOMETHING so that I know what to do with my spare bits of spare time. Ok? Please?

(gasps for air at the end of tirade then scrambles to find royal party for all the grilling I'm going to get after this.)

Also BTW- alter ego's just a random blob that has an interestingtwist to it that I doddled in english class.In other words I don't particularly care what happens to it. as far as i can tell people have stopped reading it.

Black Crystal Rose (06-03-06)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

They're Not To Be Forgotten.

Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it again? I own nothing. Sniff.

A/N- Hi peoples. Ok. Look I'm sorry (kind of) for chewing you out like that. It's just that I'm slightly stressed right now and I've no idea what you think. In truth I really don't mind if you don't review on a regular basis. Kami-sama if you just say something along the lines of ' need to check grammar /sp, need to lay off on details' etc, every 5 or so chapters I'll be a happy little foxcat.

Point is I'm sorry. I'd like to thank those people who are still reading this even though I bit everyone's head off and as an apology I will make good use of this free time I have before work (and Angel, he's my horse) and post this chapter. (Grins weakly) By the way I'm kinda known with my friends for being able to strip (verbally) the skin off of people when I'm ticked…

Now on with the story.

Later that same night Ranma and his wife lay in bed, silent, though each knew the other was awake. Finally, unable to keep what she was thinking to herself, Akane flipped over, laid her head on Ranma's shoulder, and voiced her thoughts.

"Do you think he knows?" she asked her husband.

Ranma sighed, and, wrapping an arm around Akane's waist, pulled her closer. "I don't know." He sighed again and looked at the beautiful room that they were spending the night in. "If he does, then, there will be hell to pay."

"But how would he have found out?" Akane asked. She did her best to hide the worry in her voice, but Ranma, being Ranma, heard.

"It'll be all right," he said hugging Akane reassuringly. "Kurama's level headed enough to keep quiet if he does know and if he doesn't than what he doesn't know will be best for the rest of us. We just need to make certain that Kurama is married before he's twenty or it's going to be hell for Kurama's Kingdoms."

"Because if he doesn't than Raiko will take over."

"Yeah. And that would _not_ be a good thing."

"Maybe we could get him to like that Sango chick. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders." Akane's voice was getting muzzy, which meant that she was starting to fall asleep.

"Maybe." Ranma agreed, 'But I think that that Sunsett girl would be a better idea.'

He thought about it some more but very quickly tucked the thought into the back of his mind and gave way to sleep.

Ranma and Akane weren't the only ones who were awake. Aka lounged on a sturdy branch and thought about her weird day. 'this use to be my home.' she thought, looking at one of its tall tower rooftops. 'I planted most of the stuff in this garden, this tree, everything.'

There was a soft thump and the branch next to her shivered. 'Hello Hiei' she thought, knowing that he would hear her.

"Hey Aka," Hiei said. He hopped over to her branch. There was one good thing about having lived in the dark for over 500 years; the night was her day. She could see everything as if it were in the daylight.

"The prince thought that you would stick around and felt that you needed something to other than Naraku's arm." He handed her the massive wedge of red velvet cake.

Aka took it. Though she badly wanted to inhale it in a few bites, she resigned herself to picking off large chunks and eating them slowly.

'Is it still the same on the inside?' She asked. Hiei nodded. 'Still not one for words are you.' She stated, and her mentor/friend snorted.

"You're not speaking," he pointed out logically.

'Hiei. I can't. I lost the ability to speak when they murdered Yoko. I made a deal with the gods. I had to sacrifice my voice, my demonic form, my spirit, and my freedom so that I would be able to find my friends again, try to apologize to what's left of my people, in turn to try and keep my people safe. Hiei, I became a slave so that I could live again. I miss Yoko!'

In the moonlight Hiei saw the tears threaten to leak from the corners of her eyes.

"You did a brave thing." He said lamely. He couldn't, for the first time in his life, think of something to say. Neither was he prepared for Aka to throw her arms around him, burry her nose in his neck and cry. Cry like she had nearly 600 years ago when she was a child and one of their horses had to be shot because it had broken three of its legs in a fall.

Hiei sat there confused, sad, and angry. He loved Aka. She was _his_ always rambunctious, forever curious, and forever compassionate little charge. To him she would always be a little kitten who would catch a butterfly and then come running to show him pleased as punch. They had always let their butterflies go together.

Soon though, when Aka had finally cried herself out he stood up to leave.

'Hiei' Aka thought, 'I have something to tell you. I'm blind.'

"B-blind!" he spluttered. "You can't be blind!" he said, thinking of how she had sparred with Ranma.

'I've had a lot of time in that cell to practice my hand to hand.' Aka stated dryly. But really, I can't see a blessed thing when I'm in the sun.' she looked towards the balcony that she'd seen Kurama step out on.

Hiei followed her gaze. "He's a kind soul like you." Hiei muttered." He stood there for a few more seconds before he flitted off to do his job.

Aka stayed where she was and thought about how her day had gone.

InuYasha, who was sitting in the backseat of a car with Kagome, was thinking about the same thing.

He wondered how he'd managed to find himself outside of the slave compound.

He'd been living in that hell for a while.

About 50 years ago a bitch that was the spitting image of Kagome had captured him. He'd been a jack-of-all-trades, and had been called up by the slimy little cunt to pull off a small act of petty thievery. His gut had told him that he shouldn't have trusted the bitch, but he was in desperate need of money.

Inuyasha stared out the window and instead of his reflection he watched that horrible night over again.

"_Alright Miss Kikyo, I'll do it. But keep in mind that the price is going to be a bit high." With that he turned away, and after making certain that everyone was gone and that no one would be spying on him he ducked into the nearest store and bought a small candy bar and a tiny little toy._

_Slipping back outside he darted around the corner and into a falling apart and boarded up little apartment building. _

"_Shippo" he called. "Come on out. I have something for you," a small red headed boy poked his head out of a corner_

"_Yasha?" he mumbled. _

_Inuyasha grinned slightly. "yeah kid. It's me." The boy looked around carefully before he skittered across the dusty floor and into inuyasha's arms._

"_Here kid." There was something magical about watching the kid's face when Inuyasha presented the toy and the small bit of candy. _

"_Would you like some 'yasha?" the boy asked with an innocence that made even Inuyasha's hardened heart melt._

"_Nah." He said. "You eat it." he watched the kid eat his candy bar and then started to play with the tiny little car, using the wrapper as a road. "Hey Shippo. I'm going to have to do a job tonight. I need you to stay here, out of sight, until I get back. 'K?"_

_It ripped at his heart to see the boy's big eyes fall and the little shoulders slump._

"_I'll try and take you out to eat when I get the money." The little boy looked up at him again, hope in his eyes. Inuyasha nodded and the little boy nodded back. _

_With that done Inuyasha stood up and left._

_Later that night-_

_The hanyou scoped out the small warehouse that was his target. It appeared safe. He used his sensitive ears and nose to attempt to find a stray scent or a stray sound. Seeing, hearing, smelling nothing, he leapt delicately to the warehouse's roof. _

_He was inside in a matter of minutes._

_He looked around, saw what he wanted and was about to leave when he felt something hit him from above. He struggled and realized that it was a net. _

"_So the little dog does as he's told eh Inu?" Kikyo said. She ordered the lights turned on and Inuyasha saw, to his horror, Shippo, paws bound and gagged. He was clutching in his paws the little toy car that Inuyasha had bought for him only hours ago._

"_If you're a good boy we'll let the kit go." _

_Inuyasha stopped struggling. "What do you want?" he snapped._

"_Nothing much. We just want your body."_

"_Let the boy go first and then I'll give you what you want."_

"_Alright." _

_Inuyasha watched as a tall burly man cut the ropes binding Shippo and untied the gag. _

"_Start running," he said._

_Shippo did just that. He started running towards the door._

"_Do it." Kikyo ordered._

_The man pulled out a gun, aimed, and squeezed the trigger. _

_Inuyasha didn't remember much after Shippo hit the cold concrete floor, and his little toy car skittered across the ground to hit Inu in the face._

_Some one must've told him later that he had gone berserk, he'd come into the slave compound drenched in blood with stripes across one side of his face._

A/N- Once again sorry. This is the first half of a two parter. (May I still have the last 5 reviews? Please?)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

He Will Not Be Forgotten (part 2)

Disclaimer: Last time I will say this, and it will apply to the rest of my story- I do not own any of the characters in this story except Hinoiri and the other characters that are obviously mine. Please ask permission to use them in your own story.

Thank you.

Inuyasha had spent a good portion of his time in slavery hooked up to the over-rider, and he'd abhorred the training that he was forced to do.

Worst of all, he missed Shippo and he was afraid of what the Others were going to do to him.

"Are you ok?"

The soft gentle voice knocked Inuyasha's thought's clear out of his head.

"Yes Mistress," he replied, sitting upright after finding that he had slipped and was leaning against the window of the vehicle.

"Inuyasha-san? Who is Shippo?"

If he weren't a slave, Inuyasha would have turned sheet white. As it was, he swallowed the pool of saliva that had mysteriously, instantly, appeared in his mouth.

"He was-" Inuyasha choked.

Kagome saw that it hurt him to say anything so she quickly touched his arm and said, "It's ok. You don't have to tell me. Not if you don't want." She was silent for a moment then spoke again, this time it was a whisper. "My father was killed in a car accident." She said softly, staring out the window. "Some drunk guy came careening out of nowhere and hit him. He survived the crash, and the surgery, but-" she choked. "One of his wounds got infected. They couldn't stop it from spreading and he died."

She looked at him, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. "I miss him." She gave him a watery smile. "If you ever want to tell me anything just say something. I'll listen."

Inuyasha was sorely tempted to take the bitch up on her offer. He'd never told anyone of the scene that plagued his dreams on a regular basis.

"Feh."

A/N- Hi! Domo arigato gozaimos! Arigato gozaimos for all of the reviews. Also gomen nasai X 3. I promised you that I'd update on the twentieth. My lame excuse? I went to work from about 8:oo am to five then went to my riding lesson and after that caught the tail end of martial arts. I'm sorry. I'm also soory that this is a really short chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

Enslaved Body, Enslaved Soul

Chapter 10

Beginning With A Bang

"She's been sold." He said, glowering at the cowering Naraku. "You sold the wench to the Prince. Why?"

"B- because he wouldn't let her go, my L-lord. She r-r-ripped my arm off!"

"That's going to be the least of your worries, Naraku!" **He** roared. "I suggest that you find a way to get that, that…" **He **paused for a moment, attempting to think of a vile enough word to describe Sunsett. "Thing, back and I would suggest that you do it quickly, lest you loose more than your arm." **He **finished with a sneer.

"Y-yes M-m-milord. Right away S-Sir." Naraku stuttered, bowing convulsively and leaving the chamber hastily.

**He **suppressed a bark of laughter. 'Good riddance,' he thought, then turned his mind to more "pleasant" thoughts. 'It's time, my Little Bloody Sunsett, that you either learn to be my little kitten or you die. But first things first, we need to find your reincarnated mate and destroy him. You will be mine, body and soul.' With that last thought **He **smiled slyly, andpicked up the glass of blood red wine that was on the dais next to him. **He** grinned and then went about the various ways that he could, and most likely would – encourage — Aka to become his willing wife.

123

The Prince woke up feeling mean. That, given his relaxed yet serious personality, was unusual. He lay, tangled up and naked, in his sheets, his red hair, released from its restricting thong, fanned around his face like some sort of red sea fan, in the middle of his massive "king" size bed and stared at the ceiling. He sighed, then shifted, the blanket slipping further down his side. Normally Kurama would have tugged it back up around his chest, but today- hells he was eighteen, wasn't he entitled to something? Namely the ability to make his _own_ decisions.

He snorted contemptuously, then gave up and got out of bed. He stepped into his bathroom and turned his shower on. Hot. Wile the water was heating, he turned and stared out of the huge window that was set above his equally gargantuan tub.

'Why?' he questioned himself. 'I wanted to let her go. She is, was,' he corrected himself, 'beautiful. She would have never have liked it here. She'd never tame down.' He stuck his hand into the pounding spray of his shower and found the water sufficiently hot. He stepped into the spray and attempted to forget about the silent slave.

He managed to succeed till the end of his shower when an image popped, unwelcomed, into his head. 'My god.' He thought. 'How could anyone not notice the hatred in her eyes?' he wondered.

With an effort Kurama pushed even those thoughts out of his head and by the time he went downstairs he was just in a violent mood.

"Good morning," his father boomed, a smile splitting his face; Kurama just glowered at him.

The Queen looked up. It was normal for her son to be silent first thing in the morning, but not usual for him to throw himself into his seat and begin eating without comment.

"Well" said Raiko, continuing on as though he hadn't noticed that Kurama was glaring swords at him. "Ranma and Akane left already but they told me to wish you a good morning." Kurama nodded curtly, his angry silence irking Raiko.

"Kurama Suiichi Minamino!" Raiko roared making everyone at the table jump. "I expect you to be attentive when I'm speaking to you." Kurama snorted and continued eating. "Stand up young man" Raiko ordered, his voice dead calm, his eyes two black orbs of cold fury.

"No."

There was a collective gasp from everyone else in the room.

"What did you say?"

"I said 'no'"

Raiko's eyes bulged in fury. He launched himself from his chair knocking it over in the process.

"Get. Up. Right. Now."

"No."

"Kurama! Don't do this!"

"And why shouldn't I, Mother?" Kurama asked turning in his seat to look at his mother. "Why shouldn't I be able to tell my parents that she was the first girl I've ever looked twice at? Why should I have to point out to my parents that every girl I've ever brought home has been run off, chased away, or so embarrassed that she would refuse to even look at me? And why the HELL should anybody have that much hatred in her eyes? I let her go because she wouldn't have been happy. And something happened to her to make her hate. Now she's been driven off and I'll never find out what happened to her."

"Not bad, Princie, not bad at all." A harsh voice drawled from the direction of the sliding glass door. "Raiko, I have a feeling that you would like to see exactly _what_ you drove off. So I would suggest that you start by shutting your mouth." Hiei leaned against the glass, his red eyes glinting like fire. He stood up on his own two feet and strode towards Raiko and the Prince. "She's the best friend that you could hope to have. She's the strongest fighter that you could ever ask for, and she has the biggest heart in the world." Hiei smirked. "You just threw away the best damn fighter money could buy. And you've lost the respect of every other slave that you've bought."

There was an akward pause, then, as Raiko opened his mouth to say something all hell broke loose.

Kurama felt himself yanked out of his seat. Just as the massive windows and sliding glass doors exploded.

"Let me go or strawberry here gets his throat cut!" Kurama barely had time to register that the voice belonged to one of the king's fighters, before an arm came around his throat and he felt his air supply being cut off.

"I would let the prince go." Some one said.

Kurama felt a hand touch the arm around his neck, then a slight jerk.

A/N: Enjoy and Thank you. Please review.

BCR


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Cat Got Your tongue?

August 19, 2006

A/N: Hello. Sorry for being such a witch with a capital B. Also sorry that this story has been kind of "Flat line" give or take a few paragraphs. It should start to get a little more interesting between this chapter and chapter 13 depending. Please review, else I won't know what you think. Thank you. Black Crystal Rose.

There was a sort of strangled gulp, then a thump. Kurama picked himself up from the floor and concentrated on getting his breath back.

"Where is it?" this time Kurama recognized Hiei's voice.

"I'm never going to tel–aaauughhh!!!"

"Are you really sure you don't want to? She can be real nasty when someone tries to hurt those she trusts. You're lucky you're not dead already."

There was silence then, "Th-e stupid re-red-head, needs to-to d-die!"

SNAP!

"ARRGH!!!!!"

Kurama turned around, his breath now back in his lungs, and was shocked to see the longer-than-waist-length-jet black hair of the completely silent slave that he'd released the day before. As he watched she bent down and hauled Raiko's fighter up; his right arm hung limp.

"I do believe that she has taken an interest in Kurama-San and will protect him accordingly. From the fact that all she's done thus far is break your arm, you might want to start talking."

Sunsett raised her arm, and Kurama was astonished to see that she was holding the Fighter a foot and a half off of the ground with one hand. She grabbed his left hand with her free hand and-did something. Kurama couldn't see what she was doing, but whatever it was, was causing the Fighter to turn white and open and close his mouth like a landed fish.

"U-Under H-h-his balcony! AAAAAH!"

Sunset snorted and dropped him, then flipped him over with her foot. She reached into the Fighter's tunic and pulled out a small flat palm sized device. She nudged the Fighter with her foot, and when he looked at her, turned it to dust.

She picked him up again, fireman's style this time. She turned and lay him down at Kurama's feet.

"S-Sunset?" Raiko asked, looking at the young woman that was kneeling at the Prince's feet. "What the hell did you just do?"

"grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" a long low growl issued from her throat.

A cold shiver ran down Kurama's spine, and he wanted to take a step back. No, he didn't want to take a step back, he wanted to turn around and start running.

"Kurama-san!" Hiei snapped, " nobody move. If you move, she'll kill you." It was said so softly and coldly that Kurama froze.

"But-" Kurama started. He was silenced by a scything glare from Hiei's cherry red eyes. He looked back at Sunsett.

"There is only one thing that she's afraid of, and that's her friends being hurt or killed. Once she starts growling she's unstoppable." Hiei paused for a moment and slowly stepped towards the growling raven-haired girl. She hissed angrily and he stopped.

"She won't calm down. Dammit I wish Yoko were here, or her mother. They were the only two that could calm her down."

"Can I try?" Kurama's mother stepped forward.

"Mother!" Kurama gasped.

But there was no stopping her. "Come here Sunsett-san." She crooned. Sunsett stood up, her head still bowed, and still growling. "Sunsett. Sunsett. Sunsett. You're ok. You're safe, Kurama's safe. You're safe. Come here. come here Sunsett-san"

The voice was driving her crazy. "Sunsett, Sunsett, Sunsett." It was saying. Finally she could take it no longer. With an infuriated snarl she lunged.

She felt arms close around her, trapping her. She struggled, but the arms held firm. She opened her mouth, bent her head to rip the woman's jugular out, and smelled…

"Mother" she yelled, though it came out as a strangled sounding whine. For the first time since Yoko had died, she closed her eyes and cried. She whimpered and buried her face in the Queen's neck.

She cried silently occasionally keening, in a fashion that was not unlike a kitten in pain.

"Sunsett?" Kurama asked, walking around so he was standing behind his mother and looking at the girl's head.

Sunsett picked her head up and looked at him with scared and apologetic eyes. Kurama smiled and set his hand on her head. "Thank you Sunsett-san." He said his green eyes glittering.

"Kurama, why don't you show this young lady to a room then come back down and get her something to eat." Said his mother, smiling softly at her son.

"Yes Mother."

His mother let the girl go and she stepped towards Kurama. But even though it was only two or three steps, Sunsett, collapsed after the first.

Kurama caught her. Shifting her so he could get her up the stairs without hurting her was going to be a chore but she had just saved his life hadn't she?

Fifteen minutes later he had gotten her up the stairs. He started to take her into one of the guest rooms but then it occurred to him that his own bed was most likely three times more comfortable. He decided on the spot that that was where he was going to put her.

By the time he had gotten her up the second flight of stairs the slave girl was asleep. He smiled at her as he pulled the covers of his bed away so that he could deposit the slave on the bed and know she would be relatively comfortable. He tucked her in and then left the room and slid down the banister to get back to the first floor.

_A/N_ sorry this chapter is so lame. It will get better. I promise. Btw, for those of you who are reading _Ryoga's Confidence_ by Kyubbi sama I will get that chapter posted up before the end of winter vacation. Hopefully. That's iff my mother doesn't kill me first…

Please review. Thanks

BCR


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

A/N: Many thank yous go to XshootingstarX, partially for writing a wonderful review, but also for writing a very helpful one. If you have any questions about the plot PLEASE do not hesitate to ask. I promise I do not bite. unless someone says something like "Go to Hell, whore." needless to say that person was reamed.

PS. Please forgive me for not updating on schedule like I said I would.

Now, on with the story.

His mother was waiting for him on the landing. And she didn't look pleased.

Kurama debated turning around and just going back to bed, but the look of sadness that he saw in his mother's eyes made him want to stand there and survive the brunt of his mother's wrath. He stepped in front of his mother, his head bowed.

"Don't ever do that again!" Shiori cried, throwing her arms around her son, "Please don't ever do that again! He could have killed you!"

"He?" Kurama asked wrapping his own arms around his mother. He had expected her to say "she". "Mother? What do you mean 'he'?"

"I-It's R-R-Raiko. H-H-e wan-wan-wants to k-k-k-kill you!" Shiori wailed, burying her face in Kurama's neck. "H-h-e isn't e-e-eve-even your r-r-real-l-l f-f-fa-fath-father!"

Kurama jerked in shock. Not his real father? But that was the man that had raised him since he could remember. Yeah he was sometimes more mean than he should have been but he still loved him and his mother. Right?

the Prince tried to get more information out of his mother but she was incoherently inconsolable by that point. He hauled her to her bedroom where he tucked her into her bed. Leaving a couple of the maids to watch over her, he made his way to his own room.

He was, to say the least, surprised to see Hinoiri up and about, not to say that he wasn't even more surprised to see her putting one of his long lavender surcoat on.

The slave girl whirled around and her hands fumbled to untie the belt that went with the whole contraption, a guilty look crossing her face.

"Leave it on," He said flopping facedown on his bed. A few seconds later he felt a heavy pressure crawl up next to him. Instinctively, though for reasons that he couldn't explain, he knew that it was Hinoiri. He rolled over onto his side and watched her as stealthily slinked up the edge of his bed. He sighed.

"You know Hinoiri. This is one of those times that I really wish that I were you." After that he was silent for a bit, not doing much except for fingering the thick leather collar that was the symbol of her slavery; the thing that both hurt her and protected her, that thing that Kurama's "Father" had made him put back on her.

"You know, I was going to take you to the mall today to get some real clothes but, now…" he trailed off, staring blankly at the ceiling, his eyes glazing. He felt a warm nose nudge his hand and asked monotonously, "You wanna go any way?"

There was a quiet meep of affirmation and Kurama heaved himself out of his bed, moving more like a piece of rusted metal than the agile and lithe fighter he'd honed himself to be. "Let's go."

An hour later they were meandering the massive walkways of the mall. Hinoiri was wandering after Kurama her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. If it hadn't been for the hand that was clutched in Kurama's she would have been left behind and lost within two minutes of setting foot in the place.

It hadn't been even 5 minutes when they heard a female voice call out "Kurama!" They turned around to find a slightly out of breath Kagome walking towards them.

She stopped in front of them smiling. Taking a brief glance at Hinoiri her grin grew. "Normally I'd ask you what you were doing here but I can see why this time." She tilted her head at Hinoiri.

For the first time Kurama looked at her. He hadn't realized how tight his uniform was on her. While the deep lavender was a very good color on her, the silk fabric left very little to the imagination. The fabric was stretched tightly across her full breasts, nearly to the point where it was skintight. The paler green pant that went with it were also too tight across her hips and butt giving Kurama and every other person that decided to look, a very clear look at the taught muscles of her rear.

For some strange reason it made the muscles of Kurama's stomach tighten.

"You're drooling." Kurama jerked, feeling heat flood his face.

"I am not!" he exclaimed.

"You're right, you weren't, but you were staring." Kagome smiled cheekily at him. Then inclined her head towards the silent dog demon that was standing at her side. "Would you like to go to the clothes shop with me?"

Kurama nodded dumbly, still infuriated with himself for falling for a trick that Kagome had pulled on him when since they were both 5. Truth be told he didn't know one thing about shopping, and he would be glad for the help.

A few minutes later the four walked into a store called "The Shikon Jewel". It was a tiny little store, run by an elderly lady named, and manned by a little toad demon named Ja'aken.

"May I be of assistance?" Ja'aken asked the instant they set foot in the store. His nasely voice make Kurama wince involuntarily. The red headed prince looked to Kagome for help.

A/N: sorry guys. I have to get off of the fanfic and type a paper for college. I promise that I will have the rest of this chapter out BEFORE May 24 which is graduation. I have baked a mountain of magic cookies to tide you over until I manage to get my act together.

I send a huge thank you to those of you that have stayed with me for so long. I humbly beg,gets down on hands and knees would you please tell me where you guys are confused so that I have a hope of explaining it?

Once again thank you for your support.

Black Crystal Rose


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